Hindu analysis

3. Headlines
Wholesale inflation eased to 4.7% in January - Page No.1 , GS 3
Shaping a more disabled-friendly digital ecosystem - Page No.6 , GS 2
Disturbing dilation - Page No.6 , GS 3
Ladakh, a fragile region, needs autonomy - Page No.7 , GS 2
women’s marital age - Page No.7 , GS 2
10th Schedule - Page No.10 , GS 2
In meeting with Raisi, Xi vows ‘unswerving’ support- Page No.13 , GS 2
Text and Context - J&K’s lithium reserves
Questions (Map, Prelims, Mains)
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6. Pg no. 1 GS 3

7. Pg no. 6 GS 3

8. • Just five days after Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das
asserted that inflation ‘has shown signs of moderation and the worst is
behind us’, Monday’s release of Consumer Price Index (CPI) estimates for
January revealed a disconcerting reversal in price gains trend. Headline
retail inflation, which had steadily eased over the last quarter of 2022 from
September’s five-month high of 7.4%, quickened by 80 basis points last
month to 6.5%.
• The surprise reversal in price trends suggests inflationary expectations in
the economy are nowhere near anchored and will necessitate further policy
action both from the RBI and fiscal authorities.
• Given that inflation in several key services categories including health and
personal care is running well above the RBI’s upper bound of 6%, with
prices continuing to harden, the Centre and States must mull measures
including rationalisation of GST rates to help ease the inflationary burden
on the economy. With overseas demand set to stay weak this year,
untamed inflation risks hurting domestic consumption and thereby overall
economic growth.

9. • What is the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?
• The Consumer Price Index is the name given in India to the index
that shows the rate of inflation at the retail level (CPI).
• The CPI basket comprises 448 items in rural and 460 items in urban.
• There were four Consumer Price Indices in the economy, each
covering a different socioeconomic group. Consumer Price Index for
Industrial Workers (CPI-IW), Consumer Price Index for Agricultural
Laborers (CPI-AL), Consumer Price Index for Rural Laborers (CPI-RL),
and Consumer Price Index for Urban Non-Manual Employees (CPI-
UNME) were the four indices.
• CPI is now using a new series based on the base year 2012 for all of
India as well as States/UTs separately for rural, urban, and
combined.
• Consumer Price Indices are published by the National Statistics
Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation
(MOSPI).

10. • What is the Wholesale Price Index (WPI)?
• In India, this is the most widely used method for calculating the
inflation rate. The Wholesale Price Index is the index used to
calculate wholesale inflation (WPI).
• This rate of inflation is commonly referred to as headline inflation.
The Office of Economic Advisor, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
publishes the WPI. The base year is aligned with CPI as 2012=100.
• Prior to 2014, the RBI used WPI to make the majority of its policy
decisions. However, the WPI-based inflation calculation was not false
proof. WPI displays the total price of a commodity basket of 697
items.
• The RBI shifted to CPI for policy decisions beginning in 2014.

13. Pg no. 6 GS 2,3

14. • The estimation in Census 2011, that 2.21% of India’s population is
disabled is a gross underestimation. According to the World
Health Organization, about 16% of the global population is
disabled.
• While technology has enormous potential to level the playing field
for the disabled, it can, at the same time, reinforce the barriers
that the disabled otherwise face if it is not designed with their
needs in mind.
• Being blind ourselves, we know that there is a long way to go
when it comes to making apps disabled friendly.
• Core to the project of securing a more disabled friendly digital
ecosystem must be the conviction that, “everything digital must
be accessible to everyone”

15. Pg no. 7GS 2

17. • Since 2019, the celebratory mood has considerably diminished. Many
Ladakhis have realised that their real need of relatively free and
autonomous functioning and substantial local employment generation
is still a mirage. For 1,000 years, Ladakh was an independent kingdom
before being integrated into Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
• The memory of this long history has not been erased, and it rankles that
while it is no longer subject to J&K, Ladakh is now being ruled from
New Delhi.
• Sixth Schedule status was promised to the region, similar to what is
seen in some parts of north-east India.
• It is important to understand the sensitivity of Ladakh. The region’s cold
desert ecosystems harbour rare mammals like the wild yak and the
snow leopard, and diverse flora. Cultures and livelihoods have evolved
to be sensitive to the fragility of ecosystems that cannot bear heavy
human activity. High-altitude pastoralism, agriculture, and trade have
been the mainstays of Ladakhi economy and society for centuries.

18. • Administrators sitting in or appointed from Delhi hardly comprehend what can
and cannot work in such a landscape. Ladakh is already groaning under
infrastructure development, intense armed forces presence, and excessive
tourism.
• Since Ladakh became a UT, there is even more focus on an exploitative
‘development’ path. There is enormous commercial interest for mining, tourism,
hydropower, and other natural resources.
Sixth Schedule
• The sixth schedule under Article 244 of the Constitution protects the autonomy of
tribal populations through the creation of autonomous development councils
which can frame laws on land, public health and agriculture. As of now, ten
autonomous councils exist in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
NCST Recommendation:
• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has recommended that the
Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh be included in the Sixth Schedule of the
Constitution.

19. The provisions in the Fifth Schedule and Sixth Schedule in
the Constitution of India are made in order to (UPSC 2015)
(a) protect the interests of Scheduled Tribes
(b) determine the boundaries between States
(c) determine the powers, authority and responsibilities of
Panchayats
(d) protect the interests of all the border States

20. Pg no. 7 GS 2

21. • For decades now, better-educated women have had more control over when
they should get married
• root of the problem — limited access to education among women — is still not
being addressed.
• Data from NFHS-5 show that the more educated a woman, the higher her
negotiating power about when she wants to get married. Interestingly, this is
not a recent phenomenon. Data suggest that for decades now, better-educated
women have had more of a say on when they should get married.
• Though wealth has recently gained relevance, education continues to be the
dominant controlling factor of the two. The median marriage age of women
from the wealthiest households was still lower than that of women who
completed over 11 years of schooling (E-K). Also, the median marriage age of
women from the poorest households was still higher than that of women who
have had no schooling (A-F).

22. Pg no. 10 GS 2

23. • The anti-defection law punishes individual Members of Parliament
(MPs)/MLAs for leaving one party for another.
• Parliament added it to the Constitution as the Tenth Schedule in 1985.
Its purpose was to bring stability to governments by discouraging
legislators from changing parties.
• The Tenth Schedule - popularly known as the Anti-Defection Act - was
included in the Constitution via the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985.
• However, it allows a group of MP/MLAs to join (i.e., merge with) another
political party without inviting the penalty for defection. And it does not
penalize political parties for encouraging or accepting defecting
legislators.
• As per the 1985 Act, a 'defection' by one-third of the elected members of
a political party was considered a 'merger'.
• But the 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003, changed this and
now at least two-thirds of the members of a party must be in Favour of a
"merger" for it to have validity in the eyes of the law.

24. • The members disqualified under the law can stand for elections from
any political party for a seat in the same House.
• The decision on questions as to disqualification on ground of defection
are referred to the Chairman or the Speaker of such House, which is
subject to ‘Judicial review’.
• However, the law does not provide a timeframe within which the
presiding officer has to decide a defection case.
What are the Grounds of Disqualification?
• If an elected member voluntarily gives up his membership of a political
party.
• If he votes or abstains from voting in such House contrary to any
direction issued by his political party or anyone authorized to do so,
without obtaining prior permission.
• If any independently elected member joins any political party.
• If any nominated member joins any political party after the expiry of six
months.

26. Pg no. 13 GS 2

28. • Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday pledged “unswerving”
support to visiting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in talks in
Beijing, with both countries vowing to step up trade ties
despite the threat of American sanctions.
• “China has always viewed and developed its relations with Iran
from a strategic perspective,” State media quoted Mr. Xi as
saying in Tuesday’s talks. “No matter how the international
and regional situation changes, China will unswervingly
develop friendly cooperation with Iran, push for new
development of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic
partnership, and play a positive role in world peace and human
progress.”

29. Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
• The deal is also known as 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal.
• The JCPOA was the result of prolonged negotiations from 2013
and 2015 between Iran and P5+1 (China, France, Russia, the
United Kingdom, the United States + Germany).
• Under the deal, Iran agreed to significantly cut its stores of
centrifuges, enriched uranium and heavy-water, all key
components for nuclear weapons.
• Iran also agreed to implement a protocol that would allow
inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
to access its nuclear sites to ensure Iran would not be able to
develop nuclear weapons in secret.
• After US abandoned the deal in 2018 and reinstated banking and oil
sanctions, Iran ramped up its nuclear programme in earnest,
returning to approximately 97% of its pre-2015 nuclear capabilities.

31. • The discovery of the 5.9 million tonnes inferred resources of lithium in Reasi in
Jammu & Kashmir has been heralded as a game-changer in India’s transition to
a green economy. India’s market for critical metals is projected to register a
compounded annual growth rate of 23.76% by 2028.
• This will also help advance the Indian government’s ambitious plan of “30% EV
penetration in private cars, 70% for commercial vehicles, and 80% for two and
three-wheelers by 2030 for the automobile industry.”
• The applications of lithium in renewable energy infrastructure often obscures
its significant environmental consequences. Extracting lithium from hard rock
mines, similar to what has already been proposed in J&K, entails open-pit-
mining followed by roasting the ore using fossil fuels. Industry estimates
suggest that this process consumes 170 cubic metres of water and releases 15
tonnes of CO2 for every tonne of lithium extracted.
• As India embarks on this new journey, it could learn from the experiences of
South American countries, especially the ‘lithium triangle’ of Bolivia, Chile, and
Argentina.

32. • The term ‘inferred’ refers to the ‘preliminary exploration stage’, the second of a
four-step process, according to the Mines and Minerals (Development and
Exploration) Act 1957.
• In recognition of the local effects of mining, in 2015, the Lok Sabha amended
the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 to establish the
‘District Mineral Foundation’ (DMF). The DMF is a non-profit statutory ‘trust’ for
every Indian district affected by mining-related operations that should “work for
the interest and benefit of persons, and areas affected by mining-related
operations”.
• As India currently imports all of its Li from Australia and Argentina and 70% of
its Li-ion cell requirement from China and Hong Kong, the lithium reserves in
J&K could boost the domestic battery-manufacturing industry.
• Chile > Australia > Argentina are top countries with Li reserves.
• Lithium Triangle: Chile, Argentina, Bolivia.

34. Black Hole Tragedy is associated with
(a) The Carnatic wars
(b) The Anglo Maratha wars
(c) The Battle of Buxar
(d) The Battle of Plassey
ब्लैक होल त्रासदी संबंधित है
(a) कर्ााटक युद्ि
(b) आंग्ल मराठा युद्ि
(c) बक्सर की लडाई
(d) प्लासी की लडाई

35. Ans: (d)
Explanation:
•One of Kolkata’s historical monuments, Fort William was
built during the time of the Bengal Presidency.
•Named after William III, the fort sits on the banks of the
Hooghly River and was at the centre of the Battle of Plassey
fought between the British and the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-
Daulah.
•It is also the site of an infamous dungeon called the Black
Hole of Calcutta (the city of Kolkata was erstwhile known as
Calcutta).

36. Global Quality Infrastructure Index is
an initiative of
(a) WEF
(b) ITU
(c) IMF
(d) none of the above
ग्लोबल क्वाललटी इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर इंडेक्स की
एक पहल है
(a) डब््यूईएफ
(b) आईटीयू
(c) आईएमएफ
(d) उपयुाक्त में से कोई र्हीं

37. Ans: (d)
Explanation:
•India’s national accreditation system under the Quality Council of
India (QCI) has been ranked 5th in the world in the recent Global
Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021.
•The GQII ranks 184 economies on the basis of their quality
infrastructure (QI)
•GQII is an initiative on metrology, standardization, accreditation, and
related services, supported by Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
(PTB) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development (BMZ), Germany
•India’s overall QI system ranking continues to be in the Top 10 at the
10th position, with the standardization system (under BIS) at 9th and
the metrology system (under NPL-CSIR) at the 21st position in the world

38. TARKASH is a joint military exercise
between India and
(a) USA
(b) Sri lanka
(c) Japan
(d) Russia
तारकश भारत और क
े बीच एक संयुक्त
सैन्य अभ्यास है
(a) यूएसए
(b) श्रीलंका
(c) जापार्
(d) रूस

39. Ans: (a)
Explanation:
•Context: It is an ongoing Indo-US joint exercise
(TARKASH) by the National Security Guard (NSG) and US
Special Operations Forces (SOF) has for the first time
included “Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and
Nuclear (CBRN) terror response” in its drill

40. A Democratic constitution would lose
its credibility if
a) It is heavily based on the
Constitution of another nation.
b) It is not based on secular ideas.
c) The people behind framing the
Constitution were unelected.
d) It centralizes power from the
federal units into the Union
government.
एक लोकतांत्रत्रक संवविार् अपर्ी
ववश्वसर्ीयता खो देगा अगर
a) यह दूसरे राष्ट्र क
े संवविार् पर बहुत
अधिक आिाररत है।
b) यह िमानर्रपेक्ष ववचारों पर आिाररत
र्हीं है।
c) संवविार् बर्ार्े वाले लोग
अनर्वााधचत थे।
d) यह संघीय इकाइयों से क
ें द्र सरकार
में शक्क्त को क
ें द्रीकृ त करता है।

41. Solution: c)
• The Indian constitution borrows heavily from the
constitution of other nations.
• Suppose if the constituent assembly of India
consisted of British administrators and only members
of princely states, we wouldn’t have acknowledged
the framing of the constitution as just and
democratic.

42. Consider the following statements
regarding Rajya Sabha elections.
1. The Third Schedule to the
Constitution provides for allocation
of Rajya Sabha seats to the states
and Union Territories, on the basis of
the population of each state.
2. Rajya Sabha MPs are elected by the
elected members of state Assemblies
through a system of proportional
representation by means of a single
transferable vote.
Which of the above statements is/are
correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
राज्यसभा चुर्ाव क
े संबंि में नर्म्र्ललतखत
कथर्ों पर ववचार करें।
1. संवविार् की तीसरी अर्ुसूची प्रत्येक राज्य
की जर्संख्या क
े आिार पर राज्यों और क
ें द्र
शालसत प्रदेशों को राज्यसभा सीटों क
े आवंटर्
का प्राविार् करती है।
2. राज्य सभा सांसदों का चुर्ाव राज्य
वविार्सभाओं क
े नर्वााधचत सदस्ट्यों द्वारा
एकल संक्रमणीय वोट क
े माध्यम से
आर्ुपानतक प्रनतनर्धित्व प्रणाली क
े माध्यम से
ककया जाता है।
उपरोक्त कथर्ों में से कौर्-सा/से सही है/हैं?
A. क
े वल 1
B. क
े वल 2
C. 1 और 2 दोर्ों
D. र् तो 1 और र् ही 2

43. Solution: b)
• The Fourth Schedule to the Constitution provides for
allocation of Rajya Sabha seats to the states and Union
Territories, on the basis of the population of each state.
• Rajya Sabha MPs are elected by MLAs through an indirect
election. Article 80(4) provides that members shall be
elected by the elected members of state Assemblies
through a system of proportional representation by means
of a single transferable vote.

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